Army Sgt. surprises kids at Three Rivers Parade

(WWLP) – An Army Sgt. planned to surprise his kids during the Veterans Day parade in Three Rivers Monday morning.

U.S Army Sgt. Eugene Blais is now home. The Palmer resident is reunited with his children for the first time in six months.

For his son Anthony and daughter Olivia this is their father’s first deployment and he can now hug them for the first time since June.

“The looks on their faces just melted my heart. I’m all over the place I’m just shaking it was an emotional moment. I was so happy to see them, I just couldn’t hold back the tears.”

Sgt. Eugene Blais

Sgt. Blais is on leave from his deployment in Jordan. He surprised his family during the Three Rivers parade when he hopped out of The Bondsville Fire Department’s fire truck. His family and other veterans witnessed the surprise.

One U.S. Army veteran told 22News seeing Sgt. Blais with his family made Veterans Day more special.

“These veterans are out there doing their job so we can do what we have to do here. They’re missing their holidays and their children so to see something like what we have today is touching, people don’t realize what they go through.”

Rick Bergeron, U.S. Army Veteran

Though Sgt. Blais will have to return to Jordan in just 10 days, he said this visit will help make being away from home a little easier.

“There’s times where you want to just hold your kids but when things go wrong you can’t just pick up the phone, but days like today make it all worth it.”

Sgt. Eugene Blais

After 6 months stationed in Jordan Palmer resident U.S. Army Sgt. Eugene Blais is now hugging his kids for the first time since July. Great Veterans Day surprise for his son Anthony and daughter Olivia. @WWLP22Newspic.twitter.com/9K9AGbOTmj